


That's who you are, that's what you could

by frenchkiss



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Boyfriends, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Smut, Zayn taking Liam home to the family fluffy fluff fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-24
Updated: 2014-07-24
Packaged: 2018-02-10 07:12:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2015844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frenchkiss/pseuds/frenchkiss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I want to tell my mum and dad about us,” Zayn says, all in one breath. </p><p>Liam freezes.</p><p>“Liam?” Zayn says tentatively after a pause, legs tensing in between Liam’s. “Is that… is that not okay?”</p><p>“Not okay?” Liam says incredulously. “Zayn, babe, it’s… unexpected, but it’s bloody wonderful. I mean, are you sure?”</p><p> </p><p>Or the one where Liam loves Zayn like crazy and Zayn is terrified but for all the wrong reasons.</p>
            </blockquote>





	That's who you are, that's what you could

“Okay, I think that’s everything,” Liam says, slamming the boot closed. He turns to Zayn who’s yawning dramatically. Liam’s actually really chuffed he offered to help because Zayn doesn’t do mornings for anyone. “Thanks for the help, Zee.”

“Any time, babe,” Zayn replies as he covers his mouth, kicking his feet around nervously. “Do you… you don’t have to leave right now, do you?”

“I guess not right this second,” Liam murmurs, hands finding Zayn’s hips easily. Zayn looks nervously over his shoulder but it’s still pretty early in the morning so there’s hardly anyone around. “Relax, baby, nobody’s looking.”

“I know, I just…” Liam hears Zayn swallow nervously. “I can’t help it, I’m so sorry.”

“Honestly, Zayn, it’s alright,” Liam promises, tugging him closer. “You have nothing to be afraid of. You’re not in Bradford anymore.”

“I will be this evening,” Zayn grumbles, resting his forehead on Liam’s shoulder. “I’m gonna miss you so much.”

“I’m going to miss you too, Zee. But you know it’s not a million miles for you to come and stay with me,” Liam says, hands firm around Zayn’s middle. “I know trains are expensive but I’ll pay half. Anything to see your face.”

“Christ, Liam,” Zayn whines, “I’m gonna get cavities dating you.”

“Don’t pretend you don’t love it,” Liam hums. He nuzzles his nose into Zayn’s hair, drinking in the smell of his shampoo and cologne and sweat and detergent that’s been clinging to him for so long. “Want to go get breakfast?”

“Ooh, yeah, please. At the pancake place?” 

“Anywhere you like, love.” Liam holds out his hand for Zayn to take and after a hesitant few moments Zayn takes it, squeezing Liam’s fingers tightly as they walk hand in hand out of their accommodation block and towards their tube stop to head into London city centre.

It’s still early, before ten on a Saturday morning, but the city is absolutely jammed full of tourists and shoppers. Zayn simultaneously loves and hates it because on the one hand people push into him and look straight over his head like he’s not walking on the same pavement as them, but he can also hold Liam’s hand and kiss him on the mouth while not having to worry about any stupid comments or dirty looks.

Their favourite little pancake place is hidden in the crowded streets of Soho so after their twenty minute journey and a short walk they arrive, sliding into a booth and forgoing menus in favour of ordering their standard orders – egg and cheese for Zayn and ham and cheese for Liam with two coffees.

“So,” Zayn says, hooking his ankles with Liam’s under the table. 

“So,” Liam parrots, reaching over to wipe away a stringy piece of cheese from Zayn’s bottom lip. Zayn smiles softly, touching his lip before he carries on.

“I want to tell my mum and dad about us,” Zayn says, all in one breath. 

Liam freezes.

“Liam?” Zayn says tentatively after a pause, legs tensing in between Liam’s. “Is that… is that not okay?”

“Not okay?” Liam says incredulously. “Zayn, babe, it’s… unexpected, but it’s bloody wonderful. I mean, are you sure?”

Zayn toys with his napkin. “I, er, well. I’m sure I want to keep you around.” He lets out a hollow laugh. “I don’t know, Liam, I feel like I should tell them because it’s been nine bloody months and they have no idea. And I don’t know how they’ll take it but I know I want to see you this summer, like, a lot and I don’t want to lie to them. They should know how happy I am, right?”

Liam nods, reaching for Zayn’s hand and squeezing it tight when he feels it trembling slightly. “Well, okay. It’s up to you, of course. And I’ll still be here, you know, regardless.”

Liam hates to see Zayn like this, but the thing is he’s secretly thrilled. He had known Zayn was going to be something incredibly special to him the second he opened the kitchen door and saw him unpacking his things into a cupboard on their first day in halls back in September. He had looked so bloody beautiful that day, flushed from lifting all his boxes up the stairs to their flat, his tattooed biceps flexing wonderfully underneath his tight black t-shirt.

Asking him out had been a huge gamble; they were flatmates, after all, and if it didn’t work out they’d still be forced to live together and risk making it awkward for the rest of their friends but it’s nine months later and Liam has no intention of letting Zayn go any time soon. In fact, he’s pretty convinced they’re soulmates at this point – Zayn has a comic collection to rival his own, the same love for fried chicken and pancakes and lazy Sundays (the one day a week Liam forgoes his morning run) but also nobody _gets_ Liam like Zayn does. He knows it’s clichéd as all hell but he’s pretty sure him and Zayn are going to go the distance.

However, there has been one hugely contentious issue underlying their entire relationship and that’s the parent issue.

Liam easily told his parents when he was younger that he liked both boys and girls and he was more about the person, not the gender. He had proudly taken Zayn to meet his parents when they came down to London to pick him up for Christmas, bragging about how wonderful his new boyfriend was at drawing and writing and how incredible of a teacher Zayn was going to make when he graduated. 

And Zayn was delighted because Liam’s parents had accepted graciously with open arms, telling him they were over the moon that Liam had found someone that made him so happy and that he was welcome at theirs any time. 

Zayn wishes he had it so easy.

It’s not that his parents are homophobic, per se; it’s just that nobody else was out and high school kids are cruel so Zayn made sure he kept his sexuality under wraps. Which is why he still instinctively tenses whenever Liam reaches for him in public, because if that happened back home he’d be jeered at, taunted, maybe even have a punch or two thrown in his direction.

And Zayn had obviously never expected to meet the person he’s pretty sure he wants permanently on the first day of uni but he had and he’s more in love than he knew it was possible to be but he’s pretty bloody terrified. And he’s so grateful that Liam tells him it’s fine, that he’ll be there when Zayn’s ready to tell them but Zayn knows it bothers him. Obviously they’re not a secret amongst friends at uni but Zayn hasn’t told anyone from home, not even his best friends from high school. They’re not even Facebook official.

“I’m scared,” Zayn admits, toying with Liam’s fingers. “I just… I really have no idea what’s going to happen. I don’t think there’s anyone from our area or who goes to our mosque that’s come out.”

“Well,” Liam says as matter-of-factly as he can, “the only way you’ll find out is if you tell them. Either way, I’m here though, yeah?”

“Thanks,” Zayn murmurs. “I guess it won’t even be that bad because we get the keys to our house in two weeks so I can move back here if living at home gets too unbearable.”

“You won’t need to though, because it’s going to be fine,” Liam tells him. “Do you want me to be there when you tell them?”

Zayn pauses for a second but shakes his head. “I think it’ll be better if I do it myself when I get home,” he says. “But thanks for the offer. And just thanks.”

“Not a problem, baby,” Liam says, bringing his knuckles to his mouth reassuringly and groaning when he reads the time off Zayn’s watch. “I think I need to go. I don’t want to get stuck in traffic.”

Zayn whines, hanging his head. “I don’t wanna say goodbye,” he moans, “but fine.”

Liam squeezes his hand once more before dropping it, fishing his wallet out of his jeans. He puts enough money on the table to cover both their meals and he holds out his hand for Zayn, lacing their fingers as they head towards the door and back to the underground.

Zayn’s mum isn’t coming down to pick him up until noon so Liam says his goodbyes (with lots of snogging up against the door of their building) and Zayn reluctantly lets him go, feeling more nervous and empty than he’d anticipated as he watches Liam walk back towards the car park.

He distracts himself by starting lugging all his boxes down the stairs to save his mum a job. It’s a warm late June day so he’s sweating buckets by the time his mum shows up, rapping her knuckles against the glass of the main doorway.

“Hello, sunshine,” she grins, pulling a panting Zayn into her arms. He holds her tightly and she kisses his cheek, poking at his ribs. 

“Hello, Mum,” he mumbles.

“You’re too thin,” she chastises, pulling back and looking him up and down. “Have you been eating?”

“Yes, Mum,” he says with a pout. “I have survived a year on my own, you know.”

“I know, I know, I’m just teasing,” she chuckles, squeezing his shoulders. “Oh, I have missed you! Shall we get started?”

They lug everything towards the car in several trips and Zayn is knackered already, incredibly grateful that Liam bought him breakfast and even more grateful when his mum promises to stop at a McDonald’s on the trip up.

It’s a good four hours from London to Bradford but his mum talks a mile a minute, filling him in on his three sisters and what his father’s been doing to annoy her this week. It’s times like these when Zayn thinks he could tell her and she wouldn’t mind at all but he doesn’t want to not tell his Baba and put a secret on her shoulders because that’s not fair either.

“Zayn?” his mum asks, nudging him gently with her elbow. “Are you listening, chick?”

“Yeah, sorry Mum, just zoned out for a second,” he lies, rubbing his eyes with his hands.

“Did you go out last night?” she teases. “Are we feeling a little tired today?”

Zayn snorts. He _is_ tired but not because he went out. They hadn’t left Liam’s bed until that morning after round four, where Liam had flipped him onto his belly and pounded into him for what felt like hours. That was after their long night of lying naked side by side, sliding in and out of each other in between lazy kisses and murmured conversations of how much they didn’t want to leave.

“Something like that,” he replies, rubbing at his eyes. “Sorry, tell me about Waliyha again.”

His mum just rolls her eyes fondly and continues on about Waliyha’s award from school and Zayn takes the opportunity to let out an exhausted sigh, running his speech through his head once again. He decides he’s going to allow himself a few days at home with his family before he broaches the subject, mainly because he’s too tired and already missing Liam too much to want to think about it any more than he has to. 

He ends up dozing off against the window, snoring lightly until his mother pokes him awake after she’s pulled up onto their familiar driveway.

“Honestly, Zayn, I drive four hours to pick you up and four hours back and you can’t even dignify me with some conversation!” she says with faux-exasperation. 

“Oh, god, sorry, Mum,” he rasps, scrubbing a hand over his face to wake himself up. 

“That’s okay, sunshine,” she grins. “There’s an easy way you can make it up to me.”

“Yeah, anything,” Zayn yawns, clicking his back.

“You can tell me about the person who put that lovebite on your collarbone,” Trisha grins.

Zayn freezes.

His mum has already disappeared up the driveway with a cackle and Zayn takes a second to compose himself before he follows on heavy feet.

“Zayn!” Safaa screeches, barrelling into him as he kicks his shoes off in the hallway. He grins as he holds her close and then lets her tug him through to the living room. “Now you’re back you’ll play two player with me, won’t you?”

“Hey, Saf, yeah, I will,” Zayn murmurs, running a hand through his hair. “Let me just go to the bathroom first?”

“Zayn, come say hello to your father!” his mother calls from the kitchen. Zayn gulps and trudges forward slowly, adjusting his collar so his lovebite is definitely covered. He’s changed his mind, he hates Liam.

“Thought you could get away with not greeting your old man?” Yaser booms, pulling an indignant face while reaching out and gripping his shoulder. “You go away to uni and think you’re too trendy to greet your father now?”

“No, Baba, of course not,” Zayn says, looking at his feet.

“Oh, hush, Yaser,” Trisha chastises fondly, wrapping an arm around Zayn’s waist and kissing his cheek. “Make Zayn a coffee, will you?”

Yaser laughs loudly and claps Zayn on the back before filling the kettle. “How was the drive, _jaan_?” he asks Trisha.

“Long, but the traffic was surprisingly good for a Saturday,” Trisha replies, unwinding herself from Zayn and going towards the fridge, where she pulls out a couple of Tupperwares. “I’m starving though, we were meant to stop at a McDonald’s but this one fell asleep and I didn’t want to wake him.”

“Ah, I see,” Yaser says, elbowing Zayn playfully. “Good night last night?”

Zayn groans as he accepts a samosa from the Tupperware his mum offers to him. “Was alright,” he mumbles.

“Zayn was just about to tell me about the mouth-shaped bruise on his collarbone, actually,” Trisha grins, going to stand next to Yaser and smirking proudly over at her son. “Have you got a special someone, then, love?”

Zayn groans again. He can feel himself blushing practically to his fingertips and he knows his mum (and she’s not going to let it go) so he bites the bullet.

“Okay, um, yeah, so, like, I, um.”

“I heard yes!” Trisha squeals, clapping her hands. “Tell us everything.”

“I need to tell you something first,” Zayn says quietly, picking at his samosa so he doesn’t have to look them in the eye. “Okay, so the thing is, like, the catch is, so, it’s…”

“Spit it out, son!” Yaser barks playfully with a snort and a shake of his head.

“I’m gay,” Zayn blurts, his eyes going wide as he says it. He watches as his parents turn to look at each other slowly.

And then burst out laughing.

“Wha…?” he starts, his eyes narrowing rapidly as his mother fights to stifle her laughs behind her hands and Yaser hides his grin in Trisha’s hair.

“God, Zayn, I’m sorry,” Trisha chokes, wiping a tear from her eye. “We don’t mean to laugh, we really don’t, but…” She starts again, giggling as Yaser lets out a happy sigh, clutching at his stomach.

“Oh, Zayn, _beta_ ,” Yaser breathes, “We know. We’ve known for years, lad.”

“You… wait, what?” Zayn says again, scratching the back of his neck. “What do you mean, you know?”

“I mean, we’ve been waiting for you to come out or bring a boy home since you were, what, fifteen?” Yaser asks Trisha questioningly. 

“Yeah, about then,” Trisha says, sighing and pulling Zayn into a tight hug. “Oh, Zayn. I’m so sorry. We really didn’t mean to laugh.”

“I thought you’d hate me,” Zayn whimpers into his mother’s shoulder. Trisha gasps and Yaser chokes on a bite of samosa.

“Hate you? Whatever gave you that impression?” he booms, hurt shining through.

“Because, I dunno, it’s not very Muslim and nobody else is out and…”

“Neither is getting all those tattoos, or going drinking, or smoking, yet you still do that,” Yaser says, placing a strong hand on his shoulder. “Zayn, you’re our son, our boy.”

“We just want you to be happy, yeah, love?” Trisha says, running a hand across his cheek. “Are you happy with whoever gave you the lovebite?”

Zayn nods shyly, looking down at his feet again. “Then that’s all that matters,” Yaser says, sliding his hand down to Trisha’s waist and pulling her back so they can continue their cross-examination. “What’s the boy’s name?”

“Liam,” Zayn says softly, his heart fluttering under his t-shirt. “His name’s Liam.”

“Your flatmate, Liam?” Trisha asks. “The one I met on the first day?”

“Yeah.”

“He was handsome,” Trisha muses. “Rugged.”

“Oh my god,” Zayn groans, hiding his face in his hands. “Mum!”

“Trisha, don’t embarrass the boy! What’s he studying?” Yaser asks with a chuckle.

“Engineering,” Zayn tells them. 

“Good with his hands then?” Yaser asks. 

Zayn drops his samosa.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist!” Yaser cackles as Trisha slaps him on the chest with a glare.

“Why?” Zayn whines, peering dramatically through his fingers.

“No, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Yaser shakes his head. “Carry on. Where’s he from?”

“Wolverhampton.”

“And he’s nineteen, twenty?”

“Twenty at the end of August,” Zayn says, still slightly dazed. “Just, wait, are you _sure_ you’re okay with this?”

“Do you love him?” Trisha asks, staring intensely at him.

Zayn nods. “Very much.”

“Then of course we’re okay with it,” Yaser snorts. “Just one more question. When can we meet the lad?”

“Ummm,” Zayn blanches. He hadn’t actually got this far. “Well. Soon?”

“Invite him up for a weekend, please!”

“I will,” Zayn says with a small smile. “Just… thank you. For not, like, throwing me out or anything.”

Trisha claps a hand over her mouth. “You thought we’d throw you out? Oh wow, Zayn, I…”

“I didn’t know,” Zayn shrugs, feeling incredibly guilty that he’d doubted his mother for even a second now. “As I said, nobody else who goes to our mosque or any of our friends are out and I, just, I _didn’t know_ , so I didn’t tell you.”

“How long have you not wanted to tell us, Zayn?” Trisha asks, voice laced with hurt.

“Um, just, like nine months?”

“Nine months?” Trisha shrieks, slapping Zayn’s shoulder. “You really thought…?!”

“Mum, I’m so sorry,” Zayn pleads, stepping forward. “I just… I was scared. Still am. If Liam wasn’t so, like, perfect for me I still wouldn’t have told you, so like…”

“By the way you acted when I pointed out the lovebite it sounded like you weren’t going to tell us,” Trisha says, her voice cracking. “I feel like a bloody awful parent now, I…”

“No, you’re not; it was all me, I promise,” Zayn says. “I don’t… I wasn’t ready to come out here. At uni it was fine because everyone was new and stuff and people weren’t judging me like they do here and just…”

“No, baby, no, it’s okay,” Trisha says, pulling him in for a hug between her and Yaser. “It’s your life; you come out when you’re ready. Your father and I will be here.”

“I love you both,” Zayn mumbles into his mum’s hair. “I am sorry.”

“Love you too, _beta,_ ” Yaser assures, ruffling his hair. “I understand too. But I promise I won’t let anyone, nobody from the mosque or any of my brothers or _anyone_ talk you down for this. You’re my boy, okay?”

“Thanks, Baba,” Zayn sighs, pulling back. “Should I tell the girls?”

“Well, Doniya knows,” Trisha sniffs. Zayn raises an eyebrow and she sighs. “Zayn, you used to borrow her make up for sixth form.”

“Doesn’t follow on from that that I like boys,” Zayn grumbles, but there’s a small smile on his lips. “I’ll go have a quick chat with Safaa now. Where’s Wali?”

“At Caitlin’s, she’s back for tea though,” Yaser says. “Go talk to Saf. You okay with a takeaway for tea?”

“Sounds great,” Zayn grins, squeezing his mum tightly one last time before heading through into the living room again. “Saf, I’ll be with you in two minutes, yeah? Just need a wee.”

“Finally,” she sighs, jumping up to slide the game disk into the console. “Hurry up!”

He pisses and hurries back, accepting the controller from her as she loads up their characters. “Hey, Saf?”

“Yeah,” she says, eyes still trained on the screen.

“I need to tell you something pretty important.”

“What? Are you dropping out of uni?” she asks curiously, pausing the game.

“No, Saf,” he says, puffing out a breath. “Okay, here’s the thing. I’m gay.”

Safaa stares. “So you, like, have a boyfriend now?”

“Yeah, I do,” Zayn says, sitting back and letting her tuck under his arm. “He’s called Liam and I love him very much. And he’s going to come and stay with us soon so you get to meet him.”

“Well, good,” Safaa says, unpausing the game and taking Zayn’s character down in one swift attack. “Haha, you’re still crap, Zayn!” 

“You didn’t give me a chance!” Zayn whines, jabbing her playfully in the side. “So you don’t mind then? That I love a boy instead of a girl?”

“Why would I mind?” Safaa says, raising her eyebrows. “Love whoever you want, as long as you still love me more than Waliyha.”

“Not a chance,” Waliyha says from the doorway. “Hey, Zee!”

“Come hug me then,” Zayn encourages, opening his arms and squeezing her tight. “Mmmm, missed you.”

“Missed you,” Wali echoes, flopping next to him on the sofa. “Whatcha doing?”

“Actually,” Zayn says, handing his controller over to Safaa, “I was just telling Safaa something.”

“Oh yeah,” Wali says, yawning. “What?”

“Well, basically, I’m, er, I have a boyfriend now,” Zayn says, leaning back to try and gage her reaction. “His name is Liam.”

“Oh cool,” Wali says, pulling her phone out her pocket. “So you’re gay then?”

“Er, yeah,” Zayn says. “Does that bother you?”

“Should it?” Wali snorts, pulling a face. “You’re still my brother.”

“I knew I could count on you two,” Zayn grins, feeling a lot lighter now they know.

“Whatever, Zayn, play with me!” Safaa pleads, thrusting the controller back into his hand.

When he tells Doniya, she smacks him upside the head, kisses him so hard she leaves a glossy print on his forehead and tells him that if Liam ever hurts him, she’ll have his bollocks.

“Hey, babe,” Liam says later when everyone’s asleep and Zayn’s logged on to Skype. “How are things?”

“Hi, love,” Zayn whispers back. “They’re good. Great, actually. I told them. They’re really happy for us, actually.”

“Babe!” Liam says, clapping his hands. “I told you there was nothing to worry about.”

“I think I really hurt my mum’s feelings,” Zayn admits, running a nervous hand through his freshly-washed hair. “She said she’s known I was gay since I was fifteen. I don’t know if _I_ knew I was gay at fifteen.”

“Oh, babe,” Liam says, smiling softly. “But I don’t have to drive up and rescue you, which is a bonus. Well, I’d drive up to see you, but, you know.” He grins.

Zayn rolls his eyes fondly. “Well, about that. My parents wanna meet you, as it happens.”

Liam’s eyes go wide. “Do you want that?”

Zayn smiles softly. “I do, yeah. I think I’d like that a lot actually. If you’re willing to be subjected to three teasing sisters and my parents. My dad already made the joke about engineers being good with their hands.”

Liam cackles loudly into Zayn’s headphones. Zayn wants to kiss him.

“Oh, wow,” Liam giggles. “That’s awkward.”

Zayn grins, his tongue poking out between his teeth. “He made a fair point though. It’s one of your most skilled areas.”

Liam flushes beautifully but he can’t stop his beam from spreading across his cheeks. “Thanks, love. I quite like yours too.”

“I miss you,” Zayn breathes out, wanting nothing more than to tug Liam through the computer screen and into his arms. “Come one weekend soon, please.”

“I might be able to come next weekend,” Liam says, unlocking his phone and scrolling through his calendar. “Yeah, yeah, I can drive up on the Friday if that works for you?”

“Yes,” Zayn says quickly. “Come up whenever you want, babe.”

“Okay,” Liam grins, typing the date in. “How long do you want me to come up for?”

There’s suddenly a light rapping on Zayn’s bedroom door and Doniya pokes her head round. “Are you on the phone? Who are you talking to?” 

Zayn pulls out one headphone. “Liam,” he murmurs, pointing at the screen.

Doniya’s eyes light up. “Can I say hi?”

“Um, I guess,” Zayn says, pulling his headphones out their socket. “Li, Doniya wants to say hi.”

“Hi!” Liam says, waving across the screen. Doniya squeals and waves back, putting her hand on Zayn’s shoulder. 

“He’s cute, Zayn, well done!”

Zayn lets out an embarrassed sigh and Liam giggles. “Thank you.”

“Liam’s coming up to visit next Friday,” Zayn tells Doniya and she squeals again.

“That’s soon! Okay, I’ll take the evening off work! Ooh, this is going to be so much fun!”

“What is? Ripping me to shreds in front of my boyfriend?”

“Think of all the baby photos Mum will get out,” Doniya says gleefully. “Think of all the embarrassing stories we can share. Ooh, Liam, did you know that one time when Zayn was about seven Mum wouldn’t buy him biscuits so he weed himself in Tesco?”

Liam cackles loudly, stifling it with his hand and Zayn flushes down to his fingertips, glaring at his sister. “Can you go away now, please?” he hisses.

“Oh, am I embarrassing you?” Doniya grins, pinching his cheek. “Do you wanna have Skype sex instead of chatting with your older sister?”

“Out!” Zayn snaps, shoving her away. Liam waves and calls out a goodbye, which makes Doniya smirk.

“I like him better than you already. I might nab him from you.”

“Yeah, alright, bye,” Zayn groans, shooing her away. Doniya blows him a kiss and disappears out the door, Zayn letting out a relieved sigh when he hears the bathroom door lock.

“I like your sister already,” Liam grins. Zayn sticks out his tongue.

“This is so embarrassing. I think I’d rather live in London all summer on my own than have you see my embarrassing baby photos.”

“That’s not true and you know it,” Liam says sternly. “And I bet you were the cutest little baby.”

“I guess you’ll be finding out next Friday,” Zayn says faux-cheerily. “I’ll OK it with Mum tomorrow but she’ll be thrilled.”

“I’m glad,” Liam says. “I really am. You already look a hundred times happier than you did this morning.”

“I just…” Zayn starts, tucking his knees under his chin. “I don’t even know why I felt so weird about it this morning, or for, like, the whole year when it’s gone so well. You know, my parents actually laughed when I told them I was gay.”

“Oh wow,” Liam says. “Like, a cruel laughter, or what?”

“Like, a I-can’t-believe-you-took-so-long-to-come-out laugh.”

“Well, like, at least it wasn’t a shock. When I told my mum she was like ‘oh, thank god, I thought you were going to tell me you were on drugs!’” 

Zayn chuckles. “It’s been good. Baba promised he wouldn’t let anyone from our mosque or anyone talk me down. And Saf and Wali were so fine with it, they weren’t even a little fazed. I feel really stupid now.”

“Well, it’s gone how it’s gone,” Liam says, “and you can’t change it now. But I’m glad it’s gone better than expected and I’m glad you did it. For me but also for yourself.”

“I love you,” Zayn tells him, hugging his knees. “I couldn’t have done it if it wasn’t for you.”

“You’ve could’ve,” Liam insists. “You’re a lot braver than you think you are.” He looks at his watch. “I should probably go to sleep. I have to go to my grandparents’ tomorrow. But I love you too. I’ll text you in the morning, yeah?”

“Sleep well, love,” Zayn says, dramatically blowing him a kiss. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Love you,” Liam says again, waving before signing off. 

Zayn shuts down his laptop, snuggles under his duvet and thinks about how much he’s looking forward to having Liam curl up behind him in his little childhood bed.

*

Liam has barely locked his car before Zayn’s up in his space and holding him tight.

“Missed you,” he snuffles into his shoulder. Liam grins, tilting his head up with two of his fingers so he can scan over his face.

“Missed you too,” he murmurs. “Can I kiss you?”

“Inside,” Zayn says, pulling away like he’s suddenly realised where he is and picking up Liam’s sports bag. “Mum, Baba and Doniya are at work and Wali and Safaa are in school.”

“Did your parents know I was gonna come early and we’d have the house to ourselves?” Liam asks, checking the car is locked one last time before following Zayn up the driveway. 

“I said you were arriving early evening. Noon is kind of early evening,” Zayn grins, shutting the door and draping his arms over Liam’s shoulders. Liam grins, pressing their lips together as he winds his arms around Zayn’s neck.

“God, I’ve missed you,” he murmurs against his lips and Zayn hums, pushing himself closer so there isn’t a millimetre between them chest to leg.

“Me too,” Zayn says, pulling back and resting their foreheads together. “You smell so good.”

“I probably smell gross,” Liam says, wrinkling his nose. “It was roasting hot in that car.”

“I like it,” Zayn says, nosing at his neck. “Smell all manly and sweaty, I really like it.”

Liam snorts. “Such a charmer.”

Zayn hums again as he presses their lips together, allowing his tongue to slip inside Liam’s mouth. It’s messy and needy and Liam can’t help but trail his hands down to the waistband of Zayn’s jeans, fingers skimming just slightly underneath it.

“Fuck, Liam,” Zayn gasps out. “How many fucks do you reckon we can squeeze in before four pm?”

“At least three,” Liam grins. “Bedroom?”

Zayn laces their fingers and Liam’s barely managed to pick up his bag before he’s up the stairs and being shoved roughly onto Zayn’s childhood bed and straddled, Zayn already tugging Liam’s shirt off.

He lays Liam flat on his back and pulls his own shirt off, running his hands up and down Liam’s wonderfully sculpted torso. He hovers over him and kisses him deeply, lovingly, allowing their bare chests to sit together and to just feel Liam close to him.

He can feel Liam getting hard in his jeans underneath him so he breaks the kiss with a grin, rolling over and reaching under his bed for a bottle of lube. “I don’t have any condoms,” he says sheepishly. “I forgot.”

“Side pocket with the writing on it,” Liam says, shuffling up and pointing to his bag. “One of us has to be the smart one, babe.”

Zayn uses one hand to flip him off and the other to grab for the bag, tugging it close to the bed and unzipping it to find a strip of condoms. “You’re wonderful,” Zayn says, ripping one off. “Now take off your trousers.”

The next few minutes are a blur of sensation and snogging, Liam slicking his fingers up and pushing them inside him one at a time, gently kissing him through the initial stretch and burn and then smirking as he crooks his fingers in that way that makes him quiver and beg.

“Liam!” Zayn croaks out, sweat dripping down his temples. 

“Just a second, love,” Liam says soothingly, stroking his knee gently as he fumbles for the lube in the sheets. He locates it and adds more to Zayn’s rim before ripping open the condom and sliding it clumsily down his length. Bracing himself with one hand on Zayn’s knee, he guides his dick towards Zayn’s entrance and presses the tip in slowly, marvelling as Zayn tries to clench down and take more of him inside.

Liam grips up onto Zayn’s thigh and slides himself in, relishing the tightness and the whimpers from his boy’s mouth. He goes an inch at a time, one hand soothingly stroking up and down Zayn’s thigh and the other stroking him back to full hardness.

“Y’alright, love?” he murmurs, bending down to kiss his collarbone. Zayn whimpers again as he nods, hands fisted in the bed sheets as the sensations swing between pain and pleasure.

“M-move, Liam,” he stutters and Liam nods, shuffling up so he can wrap an arm under Zayn’s hips as he starts to drive in, snapping his hips and pressing little kisses all over him.

“I love you,” he tells him and Zayn nods, tugging Liam closer and wrapping his legs around his back so he’s as close as he can be. “You feel so good, baby.”

“Love you,” Zayn pants, tilting his head for a kiss. Liam obliges as he continues to drive in so they eventually end up just panting into each other’s mouths, Zayn groaning and throwing his head back when Liam finally nudges his sweet spot. “ _Shit._ ”

Liam grins, kissing his lips for a second before pulling back so he can fuck Zayn properly, the promise of his own orgasm soon filling his belly. 

“Close,” Zayn grits out, wrapping a hand around himself and tugging himself towards it.

“Me too, _god_ , me too,” Liam hisses, hips stuttering as his orgasm crashes over him like a wave. “Zayn, fuck!”

He fucks Zayn through his orgasm, wrapping a hand around Zayn’s and jerking him hard and fast until he feels Zayn clench around him like a vice before he spills over both their fingers.

Zayn lets out a breathy laugh as he comes down from his high but it turns into a wince as Liam pulls out gently, sliding the condom off his length and tying it. “Where’s your bin, babe?”

“Under the desk,” Zayn says breathily, still completely fucked out. “There are tissues on the desk too.”

Liam kisses the corner of his slack mouth before shuffling off him, long legs padding shakily over to Zayn’s messy desk and disposing off the condom. He grabs a tissue and wipes the cum off his hands, bringing one over to Zayn and mopping him up. He then slides back on top of him, resting his head on one of the angel wings and trailing his hand gently up and down Zayn’s ribs.

“Welcome to Bradford,” Zayn grins. “I hope that welcome was satisfactory.”

“Very satisfactory, thank you,” Liam smiles back, leaning his chin into Zayn’s nipple. “Give me twenty minutes and I’ll be ready for my second welcome.”

“You wish,” Zayn tells him, pulling him up higher so they can kiss. “An hour, maybe.”

“I’ve made you come three times in an hour before,” Liam points out. 

“Ssssshhhh,” Zayn says, his eyes falling closed. “Let me get my strength back, you insatiable tosser.”

Liam tightens his grip around Zayn’s middle, breathing in the familiar smell that he’s drifted off to sleep next to for nearly nine months and letting it lull him under, even though the bed is really too small to fit them both.

A shrill scream wakes them up about two hours later. Liam feels Zayn stir, scrubbing a hand over his face as a balled-up hoodie gets thrown at them.

“What the fuck, Doniya?” Zayn snaps, his eyes still closed.

“You’re not under the covers!” Doniya hisses, dramatically covering her eyes. 

Liam makes a panicked sort of squeak and scrabbles to pull the duvet over them while Zayn groans. “That’s so embarrassing!”

“You’re lucky it was me and not Baba!” she snaps. “Hello, Liam.”

“Hiya,” Liam says, his cheeks burning as he sits up to shake her hand with a hand making sure the duvet doesn’t reveal _that_ again. “Sorry about that.”

“So am I,” Doniya says, pulling a face. “I could have lived a long and happy life without seeing the dick that goes inside my brother.”

“What the fuck?” Zayn whines again, slapping both hands over his face. “Why are you even home?”

“I finish early on a Friday, you twat,” Doniya huffs. “Now put some clothes on because I bought you both lunch. Not that Zayn deserves it, but…”

“That’s very kind, thank you,” Liam says with a small smile, still wanting the ground to swallow him up a little bit.

Doniya sticks her tongue out. “You see? Get your boy to teach you some manners, my god _Bhaiya_.” 

Zayn flips her off and mumbles something in Urdu that makes Doniya snort and throw Liam’s jeans at him. 

“There’s chicken and bread downstairs for you, Liam,” she says sweetly. “Zayn can stay up here and _starve_ , the ungrateful shitbag.”

“Love you,” Zayn says with a massive fake smile, reaching for his t-shirt on the floor. Doniya sighs and slams the door.

“I am so embarrassed,” Liam groans into Zayn’s shoulder. “I can’t believe we didn’t think to sleep under the covers.”

“It’s too warm for that,” Zayn protests, kissing Liam’s forehead and sitting up. “Are you hungry, Li?”

“Yeah,” Liam says with a yawn, “I really am. What time is it?”

“Ten past two,” Zayn says, glancing at his watch. “C’mon, up then. I’m hungry and you’re heavy.”

“Is Doniya going to let you eat after you swore at her like that?”

“Well, maybe not,” Zayn grimaces, “but I’m not risking it. Plus I’m not leaving you and her together so she can relay all my embarrassing stories, no way.”

Liam laughs as he peels the duvet back, stepping out of bed and pulling his boxers back on, followed by his jeans. “But I want to hear more!”

“Nope, nope, _no!_ ,” Zayn shakes his head, buttoning his jeans up. “I’m scared enough for later.”

Liam laughs as he steps up into Zayn’s space and kisses him softly, hands stroking up the short hairs on the back of his neck.

“I really can’t wait,” Liam murmurs, eyes glinting. “Although I am worried about meeting your dad. What if he thinks I’m not good enough for you?”

“Babe,” Zayn grins, kissing him again, “he’s more likely to make a comment about how he’s not sure how I landed such a sweetheart. Honestly.”

“I’m still nervous,” Liam says, sliding his hand down to lace their fingers. “Can we go eat now?”

“Yes, babe,” Zayn grins, tilting his head for one final quick kiss before tugging him downstairs.

Doniya’s sat on the sofa, a plate of chicken and salad balanced in her lap. “Hey, lovebirds,” she says, not looking away from the TV. “Chicken’s on the kitchen counter.”

“Thank you for this,” Liam says fleetingly as Zayn tugs him through into the kitchen. There’s a carved rotisserie chicken sat on a plate with slices of fresh bread sliced on a board next to it, a bowl of salad behind it. “Oh wow, yummy.”

“It’s just chicken,” Zayn shrugs, though he’s grinning. “Help yourself.”

“Do you want both wings, babe?”

“Oh, how well you know me,” Zayn grins, winding an arm around Liam’s waist. They load up their plates and head into the sitting room, plopping down on the other sofa opposite Doniya.

“Nice to see you in some clothes,” she remarks and Liam blushes again.

“You’re never going to let us live that down, are you?” Zayn groans.

“Nope,” Doniya says happily. “Now, tell me, Liam. Does Zayn still do that thing where he acts too cool to talk to you in the mornings but once he’s had caffeine he’s a total sweetheart for about half an hour?”

Liam snorts. “Oh god, yes. He’ll need to wake up so I’ll make him a coffee and then twenty minutes later he’s making me pancakes.”

“I did it because I was being nice!” Zayn pouts. “And you said you were hungry!”

“Yes, but that morning I was running late for my exam and I woke you because I couldn’t find my student card you told me to shut the fuck up and get the fuck out.”

“Stop making me out to be the bad guy,” Zayn scowls. Liam laughs and kisses his temple.

“You two are so cute,” Doniya grins as Zayn blushes and leans into Liam’s touch. “Do you have any straight brothers who look like you?”

“Just sisters, I’m afraid,” Liam says, looking genuinely sorry. 

“Oh, that’s bollocks,” Doniya huffs, aggressively taking a bite out of drumstick. 

They spend the next few hours just chatting and Liam finds he really likes Doniya – she’s bubbly and brash and clearly thinks the world of Zayn, despite how much they bicker. He excuses himself after about an hour to go to the loo with another lingering kiss on Zayn’s temple and pads upstairs, relieving himself and washing his hands before unlocking the door again.

He jumps as he nearly collides with one of Zayn’s sisters (he guesses this one is Waliyha) as she reaches for the doorknob herself. Her mouth drops open and she squeaks, jumping back with wide eyes.

“Oh god, I’m sorry,” Liam apologises, hurriedly side-stepping her onto the landing. “You must be Waliyha?”

Waliyha nods dumbly, eyes still wide as she looks Liam up and down. She opens her mouth then closes it again hurriedly, squeaking again as she hurries into the bathroom and slams the door.

Liam blinks, confused, but leaves it, heading back downstairs and heading back to the sofa. There’s another girl in the living room now - Liam guesses Safaa – so he takes his previous seat again and grins as Zayn leans into his side. 

“Saf, this is Liam, my boyfriend,” Zayn tells her and she waves shyly. 

“Hey, Safaa,” Liam grins, waving back. “How was school?”

“Hi, Liam. And boring,” Safaa says, “I had double maths.”

“Gross,” Liam says, wrinkling his nose. “I have double maths at uni on Thursday mornings. It’s not fun.”

“Why would you want to do maths at uni?” Safaa asks incredulously. 

“Safaa!” Zayn says but Liam just laughs.

“I don’t want to do maths, I promise you, but I have to if I want to be an engineer.”

“What do they do?” Safaa asks curiously. 

“Well,” Liam says, unsure of how to explain it at the best of times, let alone to a ten year old. “I guess we solve problems with buildings and machines and computers and things. So I work with electronics and so one day I should be able to build and fix things like…”

“Robots?” Safaa interrupts, eyes wide.

Zayn huffs a laugh but Liam nods. “Yeah, kind of. I mean, I’m not good enough to use robots yet but one day, hopefully.”

“That’s so cool!” Safaa grins. “Maths would be so much cooler if they helped us build robots.”

“Maybe one day, sweetie,” Liam smiles.

“Mum just texted, she’s on her way home,” Doniya interrupts, yawning. 

“Should I move my car?” Liam asks.

“Nah, you’re alright,” Doniya says, locking her phone. “Dad can park in the road and Mum only walks from town.”

“You sure?” Liam says worriedly. Zayn groans.

“Stop trying to be such a nice guy,” he says, cuddling his arms around his waist. Liam looks ready to argue again but Zayn holds him tighter and pouts so he settles and wraps his arms around Zayn’s shoulders.

They’re just watching an old Nigella rerun on BBC2 when the door opens and Trisha’s head pops excitedly through into the living room, a beam across her face as she surveys the couple curled up on the sofa.

“Hello, sunshine!” she says happily and Liam quickly pulls himself out of Zayn’s arms to shake her hand. 

“Hello again, Mrs. Malik,” he says nervously but she swats her free hand. 

“It’s Trisha, please, love. How was your drive up?”

“Fine, thank you,” he smiles. “Do you need me to move my car?”

Trisha shakes her head as Zayn and Doniya groan. “No, it’s okay where it is. Can I make you boys some coffee?”

“Yes please,” Liam smiles. “Same as how Zayn takes it, please.”

“Oh, aren’t you two adorable?” she coos, pinching Liam’s cheek. Zayn groans again, glaring at his mother.

“Mum, please!”

“Oh, hush, now,” Trisha says, leaning around Liam to pinch Zayn’s cheek. “I’m just happy for my boy. And this is only the beginning, love. Wait until your father gets home.” She turns to Safaa. “Is Wali home?”

“Upstairs.”

“Have you got much homework?”

“Mum, it’s Friday,” Safaa whines, eyes darting to Liam like she’s embarrassed. 

“Yes, alright, alright,” Trisha says, grinning over to the couple again with a fond eye roll. She bustles into the kitchen and Liam hears her clanging around, now feeling bad because there’s all the chicken left out.

“Should we go and help tidy the kitchen?”

“Honestly, _Bhaiya_ , where did you find this boy?” Doniya says, sounding stunned. “Are you this much of an angel all the time?”

“Just on weekends,” Liam says. “Should I go help?”

“Liam,” Zayn groans, tugging his arms across his shoulders again, “shut up.”

“I feel bad…”

“You’re a guest. Quiet!”

Trisha returns a few minutes later with a tray of mugs and a plate of biscuits, handing them out to everyone with a giant grin on her face. “Here you are, love. Hope it’s how you like it.”

“I wasn’t a coffee drinker before uni but Zayn converted me,” Liam tells her, taking a sip. “Mmmm, thank you, Mrs.- I mean, Trisha.”

“No, thank you, love,” she smiles, offering the plate of biscuits. “So tell us, Liam,” she says, taking a sip of her coffee, “how do you stand to be with this one?”

Zayn chokes on his coffee and Liam flushes again. “Ummm, wha- what?”

“Well,” Trisha says fondly, “he’s a massive pain in the arse, I’m sure you’ve noticed… oh my.” She covers her mouth as she flushes, her eyes wide, and Doniya nearly falls off the sofa she’s laughing so hard.

“MUM!” Zayn yelps, dramatically burying his face in the back of Liam’s shoulder. 

“I, um, well…” Liam flounders, hand desperately seeking out Zayn’s behind him. He feels Zayn take it and he squeezes it desperately, wanting for the second time that day for the ground to swallow him up.

“I am so sorry, Liam, love,” Trisha says, looking mortified. “That was so embarrassing.”

“This is _exactly_ why I didn’t come out until two weeks ago,” Zayn says into Liam’s shoulder. “So I could delay this torture for as long as possible.”

“Zayn, love, that’s not very nice,” Trisha says, her skin still flushed with embarrassment. “It came out wrong.”

“Mum?” a voice in the doorway asks suddenly. “Mum, have you seen my…?”

“Ah, Wali! Have you met Liam properly yet?”

Wali ducks her head and avoids looking at Liam. “Uh, n-no; well, k-kind of.”

“Hiya, Waliyha,” Liam says, grateful for a distraction from what just happened. “You okay?”

“Um, yeah, f-fine, thanks,” Wali stammers, still not looking up. “Er, you?”

“Yeah, great, thank you,” Liam smiles. “Sorry for making you jump earlier.”

“No, it was my fault,” Wali says. “Er, but, like, Mum, have you seen my phone charger?”

“Yeah, sorry, love, I borrowed it for work,” Trisha says, digging around in her handbag. “Well, seeing as I’ve embarrassed you boys enough why don’t I leave you to it until dinner? Here you are, Wali, dear.”

“Thanks,” Wali says, snatching it quickly and disappearing back upstairs.

“Um, thank you for the coffee, Trisha,” Liam says, putting his empty mug on the tray. “Can I help you with the washing up or anything?”

“Oh, nonsense, go and spend some time with your boyfriend,” Trisha coos. “I’ll call you down for dinner. Oh, and by the way Liam, you’re okay with sharing Zayn’s bed tonight, aren’t you?”

Liam’s eyes go wide. “You’re okay with that?”

Trisha raises an eyebrow. “Well, if the lovebite I saw on Zayn’s shoulder is anything to go by you already do share beds, so it makes sense, yes?”

“Oh my god,” Zayn hisses, grabbing Liam’s hand and tugging him out the room.

“Thank you!” Liam calls back.

“I am so sorry,” Zayn whispers as he tugs Liam up the stairs. “This is so…”

“That’s what I’m saying, Cait!” they hear Waliyha’s voice cry. “Nobody warned me that Liam was going to be so fit. Like proper drop dead gorgeous.”

Zayn lets out a short hysterical laugh and yanks Liam into his room, slamming the door dramatically and flopping down onto his unmade bed.

“This is so humiliating,” he wails into his pillow. “My big sister saw your dick, my mum made about four sex jokes in as many minutes and my little sister fancies you! And you’ve not even met my dad yet!”

“Oh, now,” Liam says, sliding onto the bed and rolling Zayn over to look at him. “I think it’s funny. I mean, the lovebite comment was unexpected and the pain in the arse thing was just… awkward as fuck,” he laughs. “But they’re your family and they suit you. I like it, babe.”

“I don’t like it,” Zayn mumbles, cupping Liam’s cheek. “I’m sorry.”

“What for?” Liam says, draping an arm over his waist. “I told you, it’s fine. Wait until you meet Nicola and Ruth, they’ll be the same.”

“I’m glad you’re here though,” Zayn murmurs, stroking his thumb across Liam’s cheek. “Let’s never go two weeks without each other again.”

“Promise,” Liam grins, pressing their lips together. “How long until dinner, do you reckon?”

Zayn gives him a look. “You want round two or something?”

Liam looks vaguely offended. “No. I don’t want to risk being walked in on again. Even if we are allowed to share a bed.”

“To be fair, I figured we would be,” Zayn says. “Doniya never had to keep her bedroom door open or anything.”

“Oh, wow,” Liam says, “we always had to. But I think that’s because Danielle was older and they didn’t want me to be ‘corrupted.’”

“Ah, yes, your little straight phase,” Zayn says, rolling his eyes and trying to bat down the jealousy. 

“She never made me feel as good as you do, babe,” Liam says, sensing Zayn’s upset and shifting their hips closer. “You’re the only one for me.”

“I know,” Zayn says, tracing his hand across Liam’s stubbly cheek. “Still really irrationally don’t like her though.”

“Oh, babe,” Liam grins, kissing Zayn’s jaw. “I was sixteen. She was there. She doesn’t hold a candle to you, my darling.”

“You’re not _that_ adverse to the idea of round two, are you?” Zayn asks, shimmying his hips closer so their cocks align. “Cos I wanna fuck you, babe.”

“Oh my god,” Liam groans, “I wish your door had a lock.”

“Do you not wanna?” Zayn asks, pawing at Liam’s chest to tug his shirt off. 

“I always want to have sex with you,” Liam whines, “but your sisters are down the hall and your mum’s just downstairs.”

“Leeyum,” Zayn moans, his over-thinking about Danielle riling him up so much that he just wants to be inside Liam right now. “ _Please_. On your belly so you can bite into a pillow.”

“You drive a hard bargain,” Liam says, tugging his top off and kissing Zayn filthily. “Turn the TV on too?”

Forty minutes later and Zayn is just pulling out of him when they hear a car door slam outside his bedroom window. Zayn stills, still half-sheathed in Liam’s arse as he hears the door unlock and Yaser call his hellos to the house.

“Bollocks,” Zayn says, yanking himself out hurriedly and making Liam hiss. He jumps off the bed and ties the condom, dumping it in the bin as he grabs his boxers. “Get dressed and help me make the bed.”

Liam groans, reluctantly grabbing his pants and sliding into them. He shakes the duvet out so it covers the wet patch he’s left before yanking the rest of his clothes on. He hops back on the bed and puts a pillow against the wall so they can lean against it and look like they’re watching TV nonchalantly. 

Zayn barely has time to fling the window open and jump back on the bed before there’s a knock on the door and Yaser’s voice calls “Zayn, are you decent?”

“Of course, Baba!” Zayn calls back, pulling a panicked face at Liam when he realises just how much it smells like sex.

“Good. Can we see you and Liam downstairs, please?”

“Yes, Baba!”

They hear the footsteps walk away and Liam lets out a noise of panic. “Zayn, I’m scared already.”

“Don’t be, babe, honestly. My mum’ll be there too, she’ll tell him off if he’s being too protective-fathery.”

“Oh my god,” Liam groans. “Okay, let’s just do it. How’s my hair?”

Zayn runs a hand through it quickly, trying to make it look like he hasn’t just spent the last half hour tugging on it. “Okay, gonna just put some spray on too.”

“I knew round two would come back and bite us,” Liam groans, rummaging in his bag for his cologne. 

“Oh, go fuck yourself,” Zayn snaps.

“Why would I do that when you just did it so wonderfully?” Liam grins, trying to cover up the fact that he’s starting to tremble he’s so nervous.

Zayn flips him off then holds out his hand for Liam to take, brushing his lips over Liam’s lightly before leading him out. “Love you,” he murmurs when they get to the top of the stairs. 

“Love you too,” Liam says back, squeezing Zayn’s hand as they traipse down the stairs. 

The smell of cooking onions fills their noses as they clip into the kitchen, hands still clasped between them. Yaser is stood talking to Trisha, his tie undone and a can of coke in his hand.

“Ah, Zayn, and Liam, I assume?” he says, voice calm as he puts the can down and reaches out to shake his hand. 

“H-hello, sir,” Liam says, hastily wiping his hand on his jeans before accepting Yaser’s. “Very nice to meet you at last.”

“Mmm,” Yaser says. “Your handshake could do with some work. And your car is blocking our driveway.”

Liam blanches.

“So tell me, Liam,” Yaser continues, pulling his hand away and picking up his can. “What are your intentions with my son?”

“Um,” he says, freezing. “I, er, I…”

“Oh, Yaser, hush,” Trisha snaps playfully, slapping his chest as she reaches past him to grab a can opener. “The poor boy looks terrified.”

Yaser stays stony-faced for another couple of seconds before he caves, slapping his thigh as he bursts into laughter. “Oh, sorry, Liam, lad, but your face was classic!”

Liam grips at Zayn’s hand tighter as he laughs nervously and Zayn groans again. 

“Baba, please!”

“Oh, I’m only teasing, you know that,” Yaser says, rolling his eyes. “Good to meet you anyway, m’lad.”

“Um, you too,” Liam stammers, letting out a sigh of relief when Yaser turns to throw his empty can away.

“Now, I do have one very important question.” Liam pales again. “Which football team do you support?”

Liam sighs, relieved, letting go of Zayn’s hand and launching into a happy spiel about West Bromwich Albion. Zayn slides a delicate hand across Liam’s hip as he heads to the fridge, grabbing cans of Diet Coke for them both. 

“Hey,” Trisha says, wiping her hands on her apron. “I’m sorry about your father. And I’m sorry about earlier. I’m just… I’m so happy for you, love, and he’s just so good for you and it took me by surprise. It still feel like it should be early days even though I know it’s already serious.”

“I’m sorry about that, Mum,” Zayn says again but Trisha shushes him. 

“That’s okay, sweetheart, I’ve already said I understand that,” Trisha says, running a hand up and down his shoulder reassuringly. “I just want to say, Zayn, that he’s good for you. And I’m very sorry about your father!” she calls. Yaser grins.

“They’re both fine, Trisha,” he booms, clapping Liam on the shoulder. “Although he seems to think West Brom stand a chance in the Premier League, which, Zayn, you picked a Baggies fan, really _Beta_?”

“Do I care about football?” Zayn whines as Liam furrows his brows at the insult to his beloved football team.

“Anyway,” Trisha says with an eye roll, “I want you boys out of my kitchen. Dinner in forty-five minutes!”

Yaser snorts, leading the couple into the living room. Waliyha and Safaa are playing a video game in there but Wali pauses the game and excuses herself with a squeak, Safaa calling indignantly after her. 

“ _Beti_? Where are you going?” Yaser calls but she’s already scampered upstairs, closing her door.

“This isn’t fair,” Safaa pouts. “I was winning!”

“I’ll play with you,” Liam offers, accepting the Wii mote from her. “What do I have to do?”

Zayn settles onto the sofa and watches Liam take on his little sister in a battle to the death on some character game he doesn’t know the name of while Yaser shouts instructions at them both and he wonders if this is what it felt like for the Grinch when his heart swelled four sizes bigger.

Eventually Trisha calls them in for tea so Safaa reluctantly pauses the game but gives Liam a high five. “You’re much better than Wali,” she says, scuttling off to wash her hands. 

“Did you hear that?” Liam says proudly to Zayn. “I’m a really good game buddy.”

“Mmmm, I saw,” Zayn grins, tilting his head for a quick kiss while there’s nobody else around. “You’re a hit with her, babe.”

“Two sisters down, one to go,” Liam grins, kissing him again. “I feel bad about Waliyha.”

“What, that you’re so _drop dead fit_ that she can’t stand to be in the same room as you?” Zayn deadpans, lacing their fingers and tugging him towards the kitchen. “She’s not got a choice for dinner, love.”

“Ah, boys,” Trisha says, bustling around and placing a giant steaming casserole dish on the table, “you sit here, Liam, and Zayn next to him, of course.” She winks and Zayn groans.

“Thank you, Trisha, this smells lovely,” Liam beams. Trisha beams right back. 

“Ooh, I’m glad, Liam love. It’s only beef bourguignon but it’s one of the family favourites.”

“I love beef,” Liam says brightly.

“Why are you with Zayn then?” Doniya says as she comes through the door, earning a roar of laugh from Yaser and a tut from Trisha. “Oh what, Mum? You’re always saying he’s scrawny.”

“’m not scrawny!” Zayn moans resentfully. “It’s not my fault I’m short.”

“And stick thin from smoking and drinking coffee over lunch,” Doniya says, spooning veg onto her plate. 

Liam opens his mouth to defend him but then Safaa’s sliding into the chair on his other side and tugging on his arm. “Will you play with me after tea, Liam, please?”

“Safaa, you know the rules. Friday after eight o’clock is our time in the lounge,” Yaser says sternly. “Especially if we’ve got guests.”

“But it’s Liam,” Safaa whines. “He plays with me!”

“I know, love, but he’s our guest and he’s Zayn boyfriend so we want to chat with him,” Trisha says, handing Safaa over her plate of food. “Has anyone seen Waliyha?”

“I think she was on the phone,” Doniya says. “Want me to grab her?”

“Please, love,” Trisha says, handing Liam his mountain of food. “Is that enough, Liam?”

“That’s plenty, wow, thank you,” Liam says, unsure of how he’s meant to eat this much dinner. “This smells amazing.”

“Eat up!” Yaser booms, handing Liam the heaping bowl of potatoes. “Waliyha, come down!”

There’s a second of silence for her reply and then they hear Doniya’s cackle echo down the stairs. Trisha sticks her head the door. “Everything okay?” Doniya just laughs harder.

Zayn looks at Liam confusedly, who just shrugs. Doniya can still be heard cackling as she clips down the stairs, sliding into her seat and looking at the pair before she starts laughing again, snorting into her hands.

“What is going on?” Yaser asks. “This is not the example we want to be setting for our guest, Doniya!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Doniya splutters. “It’s just Waliyha told me that…” She starts laughing again and Trisha glares.

“Honestly,” Trisha sighs, sliding Waliyha’s plate onto her placemat. Waliyha traipses in a few seconds later, her cheeks flushed pink. Doniya snorts again, hastily shoving her mouth full so she can’t laugh anymore. “Stop making us look like an embarrassing family in front of Zayn’s boyfriend!”

“Sorry,” Waliyha mumbles, moving a potato around in the gravy almost forlornly.

“Eat up, Liam, dear; ignore my other children,” Trisha says. 

“It’s very tasty, thank you,” Liam says, the tips of his ears going pink. Zayn squeezes his knee reassuringly.

Liam tries to keep his head down for the rest of the meal because he really doesn’t want to offend his boyfriend’s mum by not eating the mound of food she’s given him but really _definitely_ won’t be able to finish it all. They make small talk, mainly Trisha asking Liam’s sisters and his course and plans for the future.

“I’d really like to go into cars,” he says. “Before I even really knew I wanted to go to university I used to tinker around with my car, adding bits to make it more efficient and stuff, so when it came to choosing my courses it was a bit of a no-brainer in the end.”

“Not robots?” Safaa pouts.

“Well,” Liam says, dabbing his lips with his napkin, “you have to operate robots to do the really fine details that your hands can’t reach, so it is kind of working with robots.”

Safaa’s face lights up again. “Zayn, your boyfriend is so much cooler than you!” she says smugly. Zayn sticks his tongue out at her.

By the time their dinner is finished Liam doesn’t think he’s ever going to need to eat again he’s so stuffed. He offers to help Trisha with the washing up again but she bats him away, telling him to go and sit in the lounge with Doniya and Yaser because Zayn will help. Zayn looks terrified at the idea of leaving Liam alone with his father but his mother bustles them away so Liam almost reluctantly follows Yaser through into the sitting room, taking his old place on the sofa.

Yaser switches the TV on and a cricket match appears on the screen. “You follow cricket, Liam?”

“Um, not really,” Liam admits, terrified of saying the wrong thing. “Not that it’s a bad game but I’ve just… my dad was always football and rugby so…”

“Good! Damn dull game, cricket!” Yaser says, clapping Liam on the shoulder. “Never understood my family’s obsession with it.”

Liam lets out a small nervous laugh, scratching the back of his neck. Thankfully, Yaser changes the topic of conversation to living in Wolverhampton and his dad’s work which Liam gratefully chatters on about, easily answering all his questions.

Zayn and Trisha come in about half an hour later, both sitting down next to their respective other halves and smiling. 

“Liam here was just telling me that…” Yaser starts, but the doorbell ringing interrupts him. Furrowing her brows, Trisha places a hand on Yaser’s knee and stands up, heading to the door. 

“Hello!” Liam hears a voice call and then Trisha is leading a tall, intimidating looking (well, intimidating to Liam) man through into the living room.

“ _Assalaam-o-Alaikum_ ,” they say and Yaser stands up with a chortle, shaking their hand.

“ _Wa'alaikum Salaam,_ Tariq,” he grins. “What brings you round?”

“Does a man need an excuse to visit his little brother?” he replies, clasping Yaser on the back. He spots Liam over Yaser’s shoulder and Liam goes rigid. “Who is this?”

Yaser pulls back, also looking a little stiffer than before. “This is Liam.”

“Doniya’s new flame?” Yaser’s brother asks with an eyebrow. Yaser shakes his head curtly. 

“Not quite.”

“He’s my boyfriend, Uncle,” Zayn says, linking their hands quickly. Liam can practically feel Zayn’s nerves radiating off him so he nods, offering his hand for the man to shake.

“I’m Liam,” he says, even though he knows his name’s already been said. “Nice to meet you.”

“Zayn’s boyfriend,” Tariq repeats slowly, taking Liam’s hand. 

“If that’s a problem…” Yaser starts but Tariq shakes his head quickly, like he’s just caught himself.

“It’ll only be a problem if you haven’t told him the story about when Zayn and Hussain got trapped in that public toilet together and Zayn cried.”

Liam lets out a sigh of relief and Zayn makes a noise that sounds somewhere in between a choke and a gulp. “I was really small, Uncle, come on!”

“You were twelve,” Doniya points out.

“I don’t like the dark,” Zayn protests. Liam chuckles and thumbs over his knuckles softly.

“I didn’t know that actually, thanks for telling me,” he grins, biting his tongue cheekily. “Zayn never tells me good embarrassing stories.”

“Because they’re embarrassing,” Zayn whines. “Everybody stop feeding Liam embarrassing stories.”

“But what about the one where you threw up in the swimming pool on holiday?” Yaser says. Tariq, Liam and Doniya howl and even Trisha is giggling into the back of her hand now. Zayn just glares and pulls his hand out of Liam’s.

“Oh, babe, I’m sorry,” Liam giggles. “It’s cute though!”

“I don’t like it when you laugh at me,” Zayn mumbles, slowly tangling their fingers again.

“Oh, Zee, I am sorry,” Liam says, his face going tight with upset. He hates upsetting Zayn more than anything. “It’s just nice to hear about because I think you have been the cutest little kid. It’s only because you’re my favourite person that I want to hear it, you know?”

“I know,” Zayn huffs. “You’re my favourite person too”. His thumb is now the one thumbing over Liam’s knuckles and they smile softly at each other; Liam just about to lean in for a kiss when…

“I feel like,” Doniya says, pulling a face, “that they’re just snogging in front of us and we can’t do anything but sit and watch. It’s hideous.”

“Seconded,” says Yaser. “Liam, m’boy, I like you a lot but you’re a right sappy fool.”

Liam flushes for the hundredth time that day. “Sorry.”

“Will you stop embarrassing us both?” Zayn groans, hiding his head in Liam’s shoulder. “Mum, tell them!”

“Yaser,” Trisha says warningly, though Liam can tell there’s no heat behind it at all. “Leave them to be sappy. They’re young and in love.”

“Diabolical,” Doniya groans, stretching herself out on the sofa. “Imagine being comfortable enough with someone that you could snog them in front of your parents.”

Zayn grabs Liam’s face and kisses him messily. Liam makes a noise of protest but kisses back because he can’t _not_ with Zayn. He hears four groans and then a pillow hits the back of Zayn’s head and they break apart with a squeak.

“That’s enough from everyone,” Trisha snaps, another pillow poised in her hand to throw. “Yaser, Doniya, stop bullying Liam. Zayn, stop… that. Tariq, can I get you a drink?”

“Just a Diet Coke please,” Tariq grins, shooing Doniya to the side so he can sit next to her. “So, Liam, you sound like a Midlander? I take it you two met at uni.”

“Wolverhampton, and yes,” Liam grins, sitting back and taking Zayn’s hand loosely again. “I lived in Zayn’s flat, that’s how we met.”

By the end of the evening, Liam has charmed not only Zayn’s parents but his uncle as well. Doniya disappears around half nine to get ready for a night out with her friends and then Tariq heads home not long after, shaking Liam’s hand firmly with a merry welcome to the family.

“It’s getting late,” Zayn says as it starts to get dark outside. “We’re gonna head up, I think.”

“Well, I’ve had a lovely evening,” Trisha beams, pulling them both into a tight squeeze. “Sleep well, boys. I hope that bed isn’t too squished, although it’s the same size as your beds at uni so I’m sure you’re used to it.”

“Mum!” Zayn whines again, throwing his head back frustratedly. Trisha just giggles.

“I’m sorry, I am. I’m just so happy for you two,” she says, stroking up their arms. “We’ll be down here for a bit longer so if you two want to make noise…”

“Thank you, Trisha,” Liam interrupts hurriedly, eyes wide. “Good night, Yaser. Thank you for letting me stay in your home.”

“Not a problem, Liam m’lad!” Yaser grins, clapping him on the back. “You’re welcome here as long as Zayn wants you.”

“Wow, okay, BYE!” Zayn grits, yanking Liam upstairs again and into his room. He clicks the door closed and slams Liam against it, kissing him hurriedly. “Fuck, I’m so glad that’s over with.”

“For today, yeah,” Liam grins, hands thumbing up and down Zayn’s hips. “I’m here until Tuesday.”

“You know what, next time we’re definitely going to our house in London.”

“Next time?” Liam asks coyly, pulling them completely flush to one another. “When’s next time?”

“Well, the summer is too long to spend fully apart and you’re only here until Tuesday,” Zayn tells him, pulling him towards the bed and then tugging him down so they fall down together, legs tangling. “Kiss me.”

“Very true,” Liam murmurs into Zayn’s mouth. “We could get jobs down there, spend the summer earning and fucking in our free time.”

“Again with the constant wanting to fuck,” Zayn gasps as Liam squeezes his arse. “But that sounds like an okay plan.”

“I love you,” Liam grins, “I love you so much. Thank you for letting me into your house and letting me meet your family and letting me call you mine.”

“My dad was right, you are a massive sappy git,” Zayn groans, though he’s smiling as Liam starts kissing down his jaw. “But I love you too. And so do my parents, evidently.”

“Can we not talk about your parents right now?” Liam says, moving Zayn’s top up his stomach. 

“Zayn, can I…?” Doniya knocks twice then walks straight in, squeaking and dramatically turning around, covering her eyes. “ _Jesus!_ ”

“Again?” Zayn whines, tugging his shirt back down. “What the hell do you want?”

“Straighteners!” Doniya hisses.

“Desk!”

“Bye, use protection!” Doniya shrieks as she unplugs them and dramatically slamming the door after her. “Everybody steer clear of Zayn’s room!”

Zayn groans for the thousandth time and Liam snorts into his neck. “Less siblings to walk in on us in London too.”

“This house, I swear,” Zayn whines. Liam just kisses him.

“They’re giving us space though, yeah? What do you say I put another lovebite on your collarbone?”

“Again with the terrible lines,” Zayn giggles as Liam attaches his lips to his neck. “But if you insist.”

Liam leaves a smattering of lovebites across Zayn’s neck and chest that Yaser and Trisha tease them both mercilessly about for the rest of the weekend, making plenty of comments about how Liam was particularly skilled with his mouth as well as his hands. Zayn goes a little green. 

“Hey,” Liam whispers, “at least they can’t comment on the ones on your thighs.”

Doniya, who walks into the dining room at just the wrong moment, swears loudly and throws an orange at them. 

As great as this weekend has been, thinks Liam, staying in London together and avoiding their families _definitely_ sounds more appealing.

**Author's Note:**

> (If you're wondering why I'm posting so much at the moment it's because I'm working a job where I just sit and look after a shop with poor internet and nothing else to do but write lolz)


End file.
